ITALY-China Willing To Work w/Italy To Improve Trade Despite Leaving BRI

(MNI) London - Wires reporting comments from a spokesman as the Chinese Commerce Ministry stating that 'China is willing to work with Italy to improve trade and investment ties'. He Yadong told reporters that 'both sides have reached consensus on further improving the level of trade and facilitating two-way investment'. The comments come in the wake of a visit to Beijing by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who became the first Italian minister to visit China since the gov't in Rome began to publicly express reservations about its continued participation in China's Belt and Road initiative (BRI).

• Speaking to the Italian Parliament after his visit earlier this week, Tajani stated that "A strategic partnership involves all sectors, so it is more important than single bilateral agreements such as the Silk Road (Belt and Road), which so far is unsatisfactory in terms of exports and investment," The Italian parliament will be consulted on withdrawal, which must formally take place by December if the deal is not to me automatically extended in March 2024.
• Italy is treading a fine line in both trying to withdraw from BRI (entered into under the premiership of more pro-China and pro-Russia PM Giuseppe Conte) while also avoiding antagonising China, which remains an important trading and investment partner
• Separately, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 7 Sep that 90 countries had so far confirmed their attendance at the BRI meeting taking place in October.